Seat structure



Jan. 5, 1937.

H. s. VLEADER ET AL SEAT STRUCTURE Filed May 20, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet lHubert 5. Leader Henry 7 fi orclr'nark INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 5, 1937- H. s. LEADER ET AL 2,066,630

SEAT STRUCTURE Filed May 20, 1935 Q 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 :nhflbrf 5 LeaderHe 71 ry J )Vordmark INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 5, 1937.

H. s. LEADER ET AL SEAT STRUCTURE Filed May 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Hubert 3. Lader Henry F? A/ardmark INVENTOR.

A TTORN E YS.

Patented Jan. 5, 1937 Rapids, Mich, assigncrs to American SeatingCompany, Grand Rapids, IWich a corporation of New Jersey Application May20, 1935, Serial No. 22,379

2 Claims.

The instant invention relates to seat structures and more particularlyto chairs especially adapted for use in motor buses, airplanes, railwaycoaches and street cars.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide a chair ofthe character above indicated which is light in weight yet sufficientlyrugged and sturdy in construction to stand up under the normally harduse required of a chair of a common carrier; to provide such a chairWhose back may be adjustably tilted for patron comfort; to provide sucha chair whose chair width may be conveniently varied; and, to pro videsuch a chair which is attractive in appearance, comfortable in use andeconomical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, whereinz- Figure 1 is a front perspective View of a doublechair, the fragmentary portion of the back therein disclosed preferablybeing of the character shown and described in our copending application,Serial No. 22,378, filed May 20, 1935.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the inside end ofthe chair on line 22 of Figure l and showing the operating mechanism bywhich the back may be tilted and maintained in adjusted position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view thereof on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line di of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the adjustably tiltable chair backframe;

Figure 7 is a sectional View thereof on line l-? of Figure 6, the doubleended arrow indicating the tilting movement of the chair back;

Figure 8 is a sectional View on line 83 of Figure 3 and showing theoperating lever for controlling the tilting movement of the chair backswung in one'of its operating directions; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view on line 9-Q of Figure 3 showing theoperating lever controlling the tilting movement of the chair back swungin its opposite operating direction.

Referring then to the drawings in which like parts of the chairstructure there shown are designated by the same numerals in the severalviews, and new particularly to Figure 1, a pair of spaced horizontallydisposed tubular members Ni, ii respectively forming the forward andrearward members of the seat supporting frame are each supported abovethe floor by tubular legs 12 whose upper ends are provided with tubularT-sleeves l3 which rigidly embrace the members H), II near their severalrespective ends.

Struts i having T-sleeves 5 at their respective opposite ends whichrigidly embrace the respective pairs of front and rear tubular legs i2medially of their lengths are provided for strengthening purposes.

The outer ends of the forward and rearward tubular members til, Mrespectively are further secured together in spaced relation by outertransverse members it and a pair of inner transverse members if likewiseconnect the forward and rearward members id, ll together substantiallymedially of their lengths, the several pairs of members it, if forming apair of adjacent seat supporting frames.

The respective outer ends of the tubular members iii, l i are furtherprovided with U-shaped arm rests l8 and both seat frames thus formed bythe several pairs of members it, il' are provided with a U-shaped backframe E9 of tubular construction, the ends 28 of each tubular back framebeing bifurcated and tiltably secured to the rearward tubular member ifin any suitable manner as by the bolts 25 as best shown in Figures 2, 3,6 and 7.

Each of the transverse members it, I! is here shown as provided with alongitudinal slot 22 as best shown in Figure 3 and pairs of arcuatelinks 23 pivotally connected at their rear ends to the opposite outersides of each chair back 59 and extending forwardly on the outer sidesof the members it, ii are secured together by a tie rod 24 extendingthrough the slot 22 of the respective transverse members it and ill.

A pair of arms 25 for each seat frame respectively pivotally secured attheir rear ends to the insides of the. transverse members it, ll andextending forwardly longitudinally therewith are provided with dependingtie rod engaging teeth 26 medially of their lengths. A pair of levers2'! for each seat frame respectively pivotally secured to the transversemembers it, i 7 respectively and below the free ends of the arms 25 aresecured together by a tie rod 28 and an operating handle 29 secured toone of the levers 21 when manually swung in either direction asindicated in Figures 3 and 9 causes the arms 25 to simultaneously tiltupwardly for selectively effecting engagement of the tie rod 24 with oneof the teeth 26 of its adjacent arms.

A coiled contraction spring 38 as best shown in Figure 2 normally urgesthe arm 25 downwardly and a coiled contraction spring 3| as best shownin Figure 3 normally urges the chair back forwardly. Slotted spacerblocks 32 as best shown in Figure 3 are interposed between the arms 25and transverse members I6 or H and through whose slot the tie rod 24 ispermitted to shift during the adjusted tilting movement of the chairback.

Upholstered backs 33 and head rests 34 may be secured to the U-shapedback frames IS in any suitable manner, a ready and convenientinstallation being shown and described in our co-pending applicationSerial No. 22,378, filed May 20, 1935. The tiltable back of the chairstructure herein shown and described can of course be operated throughone link 23, one arm 25 and by one lever 2'! in which instance the tierod 24 may be in the form of a projecting lug.

It will thus be seen that the chair structure herein shown and describedis particularly well adapted for its intended use, its back may beadjustably tilted by a movement of the lever operating handle in eitherdirection, the chair width may be conveniently varied and the chairstructure is attractive in appearance, comfortable in use and iseconomical in manufacture.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a chair structure of the class described, a rectangular seatsupporting frame comprising a pair of oppositely disposed side memberseach provided with a longitudinal slot and a forward and rearward memberconnecting the side members in spaced relation, a tiltable chair backpivotally mounted upon the rearward member, a pair of spaced links eachpivotally connected at its rear end to opposite sides of the chair backand each extending forwardly on opposite sides of a side member of theseat frame, the links being tied together by a tie rod whose oppositeends extend through the respective longitudinal slots of the sidemembers, a pair of spaced arms each pivotally connected at its rear endto a side member of the seat frame on a side thereof opposite a link andeach extending forwardly longitudinally of its adjacent side member,each arm having tie rod engaging teeth, a pair of spaced levers eachpivotally connected to a side member of the seat frame and below thefree end of an arm, a tie rod interposed and secured between saidlevers, and a handle connected with the tie rod adapted to be manuallyrocked for rotating the tie rod whereby said spaced arms may be causedto be tilted simultaneously to permit selective engagement of the linktie rod with the teeth of the spaced arms.

2. In a chair structure of the class described, a rectangular seatsupporting frame comprising a pair of oppositely disposed side memberseach provided with a longitudinal slot and a forward and rearward memberconnecting the side members in spaced relation, a tiltable chair backpivotally mounted upon the rearward member, a pair of spaced links eachpivotally connected at its rear end to opposite sides of the chair backand each extending forwardly on opposite sides of a side member of theseat frame, the links being tied together by a tie rod whose oppositeends extend through the respective longitudinal slots of the sidemembers, a pair of spaced arms each pivotally connected at its rear endto a side member of the seat frame on a side thereof opposite a link andeach extending forwardly longitudinally of its adjacent side member,each arm having depending tie rod engaging teeth, a pair of spacedlevers each disposed below the free end of an arm and each pivotallyconnected to a side member of the seat frame, a tie rod interposed andsecured between said levers, and a handle connected with the tie rodadapted to be manually rocked for rotating the tie rod whereby saidspaced arms may be caused to be tilted simultaneously to permitselective engagement of the link tie rod with the teeth of the spacedarms.

HUBERT S. LEADER. HENRY P. NORDMARK.

